1. Technical Field
The present invention is directed toward window locks, and more particularly toward manually operable actuators for window locks.
2. Backgroung Art
Window locks are known in the art generally having a catch with a handle actuator affixed to a window frame which interacts with a keeper on a corresponding section of a movable window sash to securely hold the sash tightly against the frame. Also known in the art are devices for sequential multi-point lock-up of the movable window sash with the window frame.
These latter devices are locks which have a handle actuator interacting with a keeper at one point on a window frame and sash respectively which causes a second lock to engage a keeper at a distant location.
Commonly owned Nolte et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,886 and Tucker U.S. Pat. No. 5,118,145, hereby fully incorporated by reference, disclose such multi-point locks for a window sash. These devices use a tie bar connecting two spaced apart cam members or rollers which can interact with keepers affixed to a window sash to establish a locked condition of the window. The movement of a handle actuator from its unlocked position causes the adjacent roller on the tie bar to connect with a planar portion of an associated ramped keeper. Continued movement of the handle actuator causes the tie bar to also move the second roller onto the planar section of the second associated ramped keeper.
Because locks such as the above are used in many different windows having window frames and window sashes with a variety of dimensions and configurations, the spacing of the handle actuator from the tie bar axis can vary between installations. This can result in such locks either being usable with only one style window, or alternatively can undesirably require that different locks be manufactured for each different possible window. The later alternative not only significantly increases manufacturing costs, but it also requires builders to maintain undesirably large inventories of such locks. Further, such large inventories of different locks can result in serious and costly construction delays if the wrong locks are delivered to a particular installation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,118,145 discloses a structure which allows for a single handle actuator to be used with a variety of different spacings from the bar axis. However, while that structure can be used with a variety of different installations to reduce inventory requirements and construction delays, it still requires that different handle actuators be provided for right and left hand installations. That is, typically it is desired that the handle be pivoted down to lock and up to unlock. It is further typically desired that the handle portion be on the side of the actuator housing which is adjacent the window opening (i.e., away from the frame). Such configurations ensure that the handle actuator is conventionally operable, and further is clear from inwardly projecting sections of the window frame which might interfere with the ability of a person operating the handle actuator to properly grasp the handle without scratching their knuckles. Therefore, while the invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,118,145 allows for a significant reduction in inventory requirements and construction delays, it does still require that at least two such handle actuators be available, one for right hand installations and one for left hand installations.
The present invention is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.